Watchcase



Ju v 7. 1925.

W. PETERSON WATCHCASE Filed MaICh 31', 1924 1,544,932 PATENT OFFICE.

WILBERT rmason, or rnamvmw, rrnias.

warcncasri Application filed March 31, 1924. serial lio; 708,206.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILBERT PETERSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Plainview, in the county of Hale andState of Texas, haveinvented a certain new and .useful Improvement in a -VVatchcase, of

which the following" is a specification.

My invention relates broadly to watches and more particularly to aconstruction of watch case for pi ote'cting the delicate mechanism ofthewatch from shocks and jars.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a watch case in whichthe watch I radially mechanism is floated within a watch case uponaplurality of delicate spiral springs the periphery of the watchmechanism within the periphery of the watch case. 7

Another object of my invention is to: pro vide a spiral springsuspension for delicate watch mechanism in a watch case having means forconnecting a winding stem with the watch mchanis1nfrom the outside ofthe watch case and operating the same within causing the springsuspension "watch mechanism to turn sidewise within the watch .or impactof any character imparted to the watch case is prevented from affectingthe delicate watch mechanism.

Still other objects of my invention reside in the construction of themounting of a watch mechanism within a watch case as will be hereinafterreferred to in more detail by reference to the following specificationand the accompanying drawings, in

which:

F1 ure 1 1s a front view showing my watc case construction in accordancewith my invention; Fig. 2 is'a perspective view showing the constructionof the guide rinr carried within the watch case; Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview showing the construction of the rim which surrounds the framesupporting the watch mechanism; Fig. 4 is a crosssectional view of theresilient. supporting means taken on line H of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a frontelevation. of the watch case partially broken 'away'to show incross-section ositioned at different points about a modifiedconstruction of resilient mounting for the watch mechanism; Fig. 6 is anenlarged plan view of a portion of the rim of the watch case taken online 6-6 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of themodified form of resilient mounting,

shown in Fig; 5.

Heretofore in the art it has been proposed to provide a protectivecasing for watches which entirely surrounds the watch case and which maybe constructed of soft rubber or ,a hard metallic casing within whichthe watch case is held by means of leaf springs' It has also beenproposed to provide leaf spring devices having means projecting from thewatch case which may absorb the shocks or jars which the watch mechanismmight receive in the event that the watch wasaccidentally dropped. I amalso aware that it has been proposed to place leaf springs between thewatch mechanism and the watch case forpreventing violent shocks frominjuring the watch mechanism but all of these constructions haveinherent disadvantages which I have overcome by the .constructiondescribed hereinafter. I have found that the spring suspensionsupporting the delicate mechanism of a watch in order to be effectivemust be capable of absorbing shocks and jars of even slight amplitude..I have therefore devised a mounting in which a plurality of spiralsprings are disposed between the frame of the watch mechanism and thecasing of the watch. Guide means are positioned concentrically withinthe spring means at. equally spaced points about the periphery of theframe of the watch case distributing the weight of the watch partsequally within the watch case and enabling the frame of the watchmechanism to move only in a single direction within the watch case andto be unaffected during the winding operation of the watch.

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to thedrawings, in which reference character 1 represents the outer frame ofthe watch case in which is seated a circular rim member 2. The circularrim member 2 is provided with a plurality of elongated apertures 3disposed in diametrically opposed positions. The rim 2 also includesinwardly projecting in members 4 which are radially aligned with thecenter of the watch and alternately positioned between the aperturedmeans 3. The watch operating mechanism is carried within a apertures 3.

verating mechanism is at all times floating of the watch mechanism.

frame upon which circular rim member 5 is secured. The circular rimmember 5 has a plurality of pins extending outwardly from its surface ina radial direction. One set of these pins is relatively short asrepresented by reference character 6, which set of pins aligns with pins4 of the first mentioned rim member 2. Another set of pins.

on the rim member 5 is'relatively long as represented by referencecharacter 7 and are diametrically oppositely positioned on the rim 5 toregister with apertures 3 in rim member 2. The watch operatingme'chanisn'i which is circumferentially bounded by rim member 5 ispositioned within frame 1 with pins 7 of rim 5 passing through apertures3 in rim 2. Spiral springs 8 are concen trieally disposed upon the pinmembers 4, 6, and 7 at a plurality of points about the periphery of thewatch operating mechanism as indicated in such manner that pins 7 arefree to ride back and forth radially within apertures 3 while adjacentends of pins 4 and 6 are spacedapart by the clear springs 8. The watchoperating mechanism 1s wound as usual through anydesired form of windingstem 9 with operating shaft 10 butrotative movement of the watch in thewatch frame carrying the Watch operating mechanism is precluded bypins?- guided in In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 I show a modified mounting inwhich the pins 4 are secured directly within the outer frame 1 with cupshaped devices or lug members 11 alternately positioned with the pins 4about the outer framel extending inwardly in a radial line to receivethe pins 7 and guide the said pins against movement in all directionsex-. cepting a radial direction within the outer frame 1. 'Spiralsprings 8 are positioned over the pins 4 and 6 and lug members 11 andpins 7 providing a resilient cushion for the watch operating mechanism.

It will be understood that the watch opwithin the outer frame 1 ondelicate springs 8 which are so proportioned as to preclude the transferof sudden shocks and jars or other impact forces which may be impartedto the outer frame 1 from the delicate parts While I have described myinvention in directed pin members carriedat a plurality of points aboutthe periphery of said circular rim member, a second circularrim membercarried by said inner frame and having a'plurahty of pins extendingoutof said pin members registering with the apertured points 1n saldhrst mentioned c1r- 'cular rim member and the other of said pin membersbeing concentrically aligned with corresponding pin members-on saidfirst mentioned circular rim, and spiral springs disposed on said pinmembers between-the inner surface of the first mentioned circular rimmember and the outer surface of the second mentioned circular rim memberwhereby said watchoperating mechanism freely floats within said outerframe shield ed from shocks and jars to which said outer.

frame'may be subjected.

' wardly from the surface thereof, a number 2. A-watch case, comprisingin combination an outer frame, an inner frame, a plurality ofalternately positioned apertured means and pins extending radiallyinwardly from said outer frame, said inner frame having a plurality ofoutwardly extending radially positioned pins corresponding in number tothe number of said apertured means and pins on said outer frame, a plu-'rality of'sets of diametrically disposed pins.

on said inner frame being substantially longer than other pins on saidframe and arranged. to extend into said apertured means in the outerframe, and spiral springs disposed concentrically upon said pins wherebysaid inner frame floats within said outer frame free from effects ofshocks and jars to which said outer frame may be subjected. r a WILBERT.PETERSON.

